Ruff day for puppy found hidden in bag under car seat at Woodlands Checkpoint

A 36-year-old man tried to get past Woodlands Checkpoint with a dog hidden in his car, but was sniffed out by vigilant officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in no time.

In a Facebook post, the ICA said that it had referred a Singapore-registered car driven by the man for security checks at close to midnight on Feb 26.

During checks, officers spotted a puppy hidden in a black bag under the car's rear passenger seat.

"As the driver did not possess an import permit and valid health certificates, the case was referred to Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) for investigations," said the ICA.

The puppy is currently under the AVA's care.

"Animals that are smuggled into Singapore are of unknown health status and may introduce exotic diseases, such as rabies, into the country," said the ICA, adding that it will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent smuggling attempts.